Combined cigarette lighter and case



y 11, 1939- 5. DE SILVESTRO COMBINED CIGARETTE LIGHTER AND CASE Filed Jan. 15, 1938 Fig-1 I I 3437 0 I INV EN TOR.

4e SALVATORE DEsaLvEsTRo ATTORNEY.

Patented July 11, 1939 I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to a combined cigarette lighter and case having a compartment in which a plurality of cigarettes may be stored and having means for delivering the cigarettes one at a time in lighted condition by the manipulation of a lever.

An object of this invention is to provide a case having a closed compartment for loose cigarettes and having a swinging platform on which the cigarettes are stacked for successive movement into a swinging carrier, the said carrier serving to raise a cigarette on the carrier from a horizontal position into a vertical position and in superposed relation over an electric heating element.

Another object of this invention is to break away the heating element so that one end of the cigarette may be placed in intimate contact with the incandescent heating wire to quickly light the cigarette and avoid the necessity for puffing the cigarette into a lighted condition.

Another object of this invention is to provide a device of the character described having a cigarette holding compartment with a pivotally 5 mounted platform whereby said platform may be swung so as to deliver one cigarette at a time into the swinging carrier.

Another object of this invention is to connect the swinging platform with the carrier so that upward movement of the platform will raise the carrier and a predoaded cigarette into lighting position and the downward movement of the platform will deliver another cigarette into the carrier ready for the next cigarette lighting 35 operation.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention will be hereinafter more particularly described, and the combination and arrangement of parts will be shown in the accompanying drawing and pointed out in the claims which form part of this specification.

Reference will now be had to the drawing, wherein like numerals of reference designate cor responding parts throughout the several views, in which:

Figure 1 is a top view of the combined cigarette lighter and case showing a cigarette in lighting position and showing a top cover for a cigarette holding compartment in closed position.

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view, the section being taken as on line 22 in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary top View of the combined cigarette lighter and case with the top cover removed, a portion of the top being broken away to show a cigarette lying on the pivotally mounted carrier.

Figure 4 is a side view of the combined cigarette lighter and case partly broken away to show an electrical heating element having a cigarette thereon in an upright lighting position.

Figure 5 is a front view of the cigarette carrier.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the numeral ll] indicates a combined cigarette lighter and case comprising a case i! having a cigarette holding compartment l2 and a slidable top cover E3. The compartment I2 has an inclined base l4 having an inclined extension l5 pivotally mounted on a pin Hi. The platform extension l5 may be of less width than the width of the compartment I2, as shown.

A vertical wall 39 depends from the top of the case I! and terminates at its lower end at a distance from the platform extension l5 so as to provide a vertical space slightly less than the diameters of two superposed cigarettes I! and I8. The platform extension l5 has an arcuate groove If! at its lower end.

Pivotally mounted on a fulcrum 20 below the platform extension i5 is a lever 2| extending outwardly through an upright opening 22 at the front face of the case M. The lever 2| is caused to be raised upwardly against the top wall 23 of the opening 22 by a coil spring 24 secured to the top of the case M. The lower end of the platform extension l5 rests against the lower end 25 of the lever 2 I.

Pivotally mounted on a pin 26 in spaced relation from the lower end of the platform extension |5 is a horizontally positioned cigarette carrier 21 of concave cross-section and of elongated form. The carrier 21 has a vertical wall 28 which rests on the bottom 29 of the case M. An inclined slot 3! in the vertical wall 28 shown in Figure 5, serves to receive a pin 3| which projects from the lower end 25 of the lever 2!. It will thus be seen that when the lever 2| is pressed down at its forward end, the pin 3| at the rear end thereof being in the slot 30 will raise the carrier from a horizontal to a vertical or upright position. As shown in Figure 3, the carrier 21 is shorter than a cigarette lying thereon and that when the carrier is raised and the cigarette is tilted, the cigarette will contact and raise the cover 33 during the tilting movement. The carrier 21 thus remains below the cover and may freely drop down to its normal horizontal position when the lever 2| is released.

When a plurality of cigarettes are inserted in the cigarette holding compartment l2 they roll down the platform extension I5 and the first cigarette rolls into the carrier 2! and assumes the position shown in Figure 3.

A rectangular opening 32 has been provided in the top of the case in superposed relation with the carrier 2'! and a horizontally positioned closure 33 has been pivotally mounted at 34, 3 t and serves to close the opening 32. As shown in Figure 2, the opening 32 leads into a lighter compartment 45. As shown in Figure 1, the cover 33 is shorter than the lighter compartment opening 45.

It will be noted that when the lever 2! is pressed down at its front end, the pin 3i in the slot 30 will swing the carrier 2'! upwardly and the cigarette 35 thereon into a vertical position shown in Figure 1. During this upward or tilting movement, the cigarette 35 opens the closure 33 temporarily and it then drops back to its normally closed horizontal position on top of the case I]. to steady the cigarette 35 in case it tilts from the upright position over an electric heating element 3?. The element 3i has been secured at the lower end of the case it and has its upper portion partlybroken away so as to permit one end of the cigarette to rest in intimate contact with the heating wire 38 therein. The broken portion is in alinement with the cigarette when it is in a vertical position.

As best shown in Figure 2, the face ii of the vertical wall 33 has been made to slope towards the carrier 2'! and serves to facilitate the upward movement of the loaded platform extension 15 by causing the cigarette i3 to move rearwardly.

It is to be noted that the lowermost top edge of the platform extension 5 terminates in a sharply defined bevel which serves to securely hold the cigarette I? when the platform extension I5 is raised. This beveled edge being adjacent the arcuate groove 59 also causes the cigarettes lying on the said extension to roll forwardly and away from the carrier 2?, from the cigarette 35 and from the face of the wall 39 when the said extension is raised.

While the inclined base H1 is shown with an opening at its central lower end portion in which the extension I5 is pivotally mounted, it is to be noted that the extension may be made the full width of the compartment i2.

As shown in Figure 2, I have secured an electrical contact member M to the lower face of the lever 2!. An electric conducting wire 52 is fastened to the contact member ii and extends rearwards of the case ll. I have secured another electrical contact member iZ to the bottom of the case H. An electric conducting wire ts is fastened to the contact member 43 and extends rearwards of the case I i. The wire A2 is connected to a terminal 4-2 on the heating element 31. The wire 44 is connected by means of an outlet plug 46 to a terminal 66 on the heating element 31.

Operation of the invention When the lever 2| is pressed down, the con tacts 4i and 43 come together and cause an electric current to pass through and cause incandescence of the heating element 3?. It will thus be seen that the swinging of the cigarette carrier 2'! and the incandescence of the heating element 31 takes place simultaneously. When the platform extension I5 is raised, the inclined face 49 of the wall 35 causes the cigarette it to move forwardly and this motion also causes the cigarettes on the platform to move forwardly and permits the cigarette ii to drop into the arcuate groove l9 and to clear the carrier 2'! in its upward swinging motion. The downward movement of the platform extension l5 causes the cigarettes to roll down the platform and to One end 36 of the closure 33 may serve press the cigarette I! out of the arcuate groove I9 into the empty carrier 21. It is to be noted that when the carrier moves a cigarette from a horizontal to an upright position on the heating element 27, that the closure 33 on top of the lighter compartment 45 swings up to permit the cigarette to complete its movement to its upright position and that the closure 33 drops back to its normal horizontal position as soon as the cigarette assumes said upright position. This upright lighted cigarette extends above the case and may be immediately removed by. the user for smoking or it may be left on the heating element, since the electrical contact is instantly broken and no further current is supplied. The

lighted cigarette may thus be allowed to become extinguished while resting on the non-energized heating element.

It is to be noted that the electrical heating element is constructed with a perforated mica disk at its upper elevation. When a cigarette is placed in contact with the mica disk it requires considerable effort on the part of the user to puff on the cigarette for a considerable time before the cigarette becomes lighted. By breaking away or otherwise providing an opening in the mica disk it is possible to place the cigarette in intimate contact with the resistance wire in the heating element whereby the cigarette is lighted without puffing into a lighted condition.

I claim:

1. In a combined cigarette case and lighter of the character dsecribed, a closed lighter comits top wall, a hinged cover for said compartmerit, a normally horizontally disposed carrier pivotally mounted in the compartment for supporting a cigarette in horizontal position, an electrical heating element positioned at one end of said carrier, means for swinging said carrier to an upright position to tilt said cigarette and cause it to rest endwise on said heating element and for simultaneously causing incandescence of said heating element, said cover being momentariiy opened by said cigarette during the tilting morment thereof, said cover being shorter than said lighter compartment opening to permit said cigarette to assume said upright position on said heating element with said cover in closed horiaontal position, said carrier being shorter than said cigarette to cause said cigarette to open said cover during said tilting movement.

2. In a cigarette case of the character described, a closed compartment having an opening for a cigarette in its top wall, a hinged cover for said compartment, a normally horizontally disposed carrier pivotally mounted in the compartment for supporting said cigarette in horizontal position, means for swinging said carrier to an upright position to tilt said cigarette and cause it to rest endwise in said case, said cover being momentarily opened by said cigarette during the tilting movement thereof, said cover being shorter than said compartment opening to permit said cigarette to assume said upright position with said cover in closed horizontal position, said carrier being shorter than said cigarette to cause said cigarette to open said cover during said tilting movement.

SALVATORE DE SILVESTRO.

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